I don't know what I have. Any help appreciated

I'm a 34 year old female. My right hip has hurt for at least a decade. I typically don't think anything of it because my dad has had both of his hips replaced. A couple years ago I was having off and on pain under my left breast on rib. The dr I went to felt it and said it was costo. Last year I started having some pain in my left armpit. I thought it was because of some tricep exercises I was doing. Within the last few months it has gotten worse moving to the other armpit as well and also my chest/breast area. I have it pretty much daily and sometimes it goes down to my elbows and if the pain gets really bad sometimes it makes my bicep muscles hurt like I had done a major workout. If i sit wrong (like have my legs crossed or if I sit on a leg or sometimes even just sitting for extended period of time) and then get up I walk like I'm 80 years old. I can't sit on the floor and play games with my kids or sit Indian style. The joints in my fingers hurt some days and it seems like the grip in my hands is weak. When the chest/breast pain started I was worried about breast cancer. My grandma died of it when she was 32.

I went to a gyno who didn't feel anything abnormal an also did an EKG and normal blood draw (WBC etc) which turned out fine. She then suggested I see a PA. She looked at me like I had three heads and figures it's weak pectoral muscles. She did feel cysts in both breasts in the same spots and said they weren't anything to worry about. I was not happy with that answer as this doesn't feel muscular. I then made an appt with a GP who I've seen twice. He ran some inflammatory blood tests (EsR and CRP) and both were a little elevated but got a call saying he wasn't worried about them. I also was getting over a cold during that time. I still wasn't happy with that answer so I went back to him this week. He is now referring me to a rheumatologist. I'm so worried that it's cancer (breast or lymphoma) but he said that's not even on his radar.

I typically wake up to no pain but once I start moving around it can start and it's usually pain in the same spots on both sides of my body. Sometimes I wake up to hip pain and back pain but usually once I'm walking that gets better. For my breast/chest/armpit the pain van start up at any time and also quit at the snap of a finger. Sometimes it seems eating makes it better and that being cold makes the pain worse. My GP suggested I try Aleve twice a day but that most of the time doesn't touch it

Can anyone tell me if this sounds like what any of u go thru and also what can I expect with my first appt with the rheumatoligist

Sorry it's so long. I'm desperate for answers. I've pretty much told myself that if it's not the big C that I can deal with anything else. Thank you

The Lupus Resources thread (at the top of the previous page) also has a list of suggests of what to take and what to do when seeing a rheumy for the first time.

You can start by listing your symptoms and when they occur. And by taking your previous lab results with you. Don't try to use a lot of makeup to "look good" to the Dr - you want them to observe you as you are.

Try not to worry. Worry is an insidious beast that just steals today away from us. And the stress it causes generally makes our symptoms worse.

Take care,